Recent changes to the recruiting calendar accelerated the pace of recruiting as players now are able to take official visits rather than having to wait until the start of their senior year.
With that in mind, here is a look at where Ohio State’s 2025 class stands:
1. Ohio State’s class is No. 2 in the nation.
As was the case at the beginning of April, the Buckeyes trail only Notre Dame in 247Sports Composite national rankings.
Coach Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish have built a big lead via volume, at least for now. Notre Dame has 22 verbal commitments while most schools have closer to 10. Twelve of Freeman’s current pledges are from four-star prospects.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
2. Four players from Ohio have committed to Ohio State.
Bellefontaine quarterback Tavien St. Clair was the first player to join the 2025 class last summer.
He has been joined by Toledo Whitmer offensive lineman Carter Lowe, Akron Hoban linebacker Eli Lee and Cleveland St. Ignatius safety Cody Haddad.
Credit: Marcus Hartman
Credit: Marcus Hartman
3. St. Clair is one of three five-star prospects.
The Chieftain’s signal-caller has enjoyed a huge rise in the rankings in the past year.
He is 16th in 247Sports Composite national rankings while cornerbacks Devin Sanchez of Houston (Texas) North Shore and Na’eem Offord of Birmingham (Ala.) Parker rank fifth and sixth, respectively.
Sanchez and Offord are ranked Nos. 1 and 2 at their position while St. Clair is the No. 3 quarterback behind Bryce Underwood of Belleville, Mich., and Julian Lewis of Carrollton, Ga.
Underwood has pledged to lSU while Lewis is headed to USC.
4. The class is lacking in the trenches so far.
Ohio State has been a bit light in terms of total signees on the offensive and defensive lines the last couple of years, and so far the Buckeyes are off to a slow start in both areas.
Lowe is the only offensive line commit for coach Justin Frye while defensive line coach Larry Johnson has pledges from Zahir Mathis, a four-star end from Philadelphia, and London Merritt, a four-star tackle who attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
With the potential to start four players in their fourth or fifth year this fall, Ohio State is likely to face a major rebuild on the offensive line next year, so bringing in a big class is important.
The defensive line will also lose all four starters, though Johnson has 12 non-seniors on scholarship for the coming year.
5. What of Ohio talent?
Ohio State has signed an average of 6.6 players from Ohio in head coach Ryan Day’s six previous classes.
With four in the fold, the Buckeyes may end up around that number again this year.
Among Ohio State’s remaining targets is Trey McNutt of Shaker Heights, a five-star “athlete” prospect who is the son of former Ohio State defensive back Richard McNutt, Cincinnati Winton Woods defensive end Justin Hill and running back Bo Jackson of Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph.
They are ranked second, fourth and fifth, respectively, in Ohio as May winds down.
Several in-state four-stars have already pledged to go elsewhere, including Lakota West tight end Luka Gilbert, a four-star prospect who verbally committed to Miami (Fla.), Ryan Montgomery, a four-star quarterback from Findlay who committed to Georgia earlier this spring, and Marquise Davis, a running back from Cleveland Heights who is headed to Kentucky.
6. Things could change in a hurry.
Per 247Sports, Ohio State is set to host recruits every weekend in June, starting with a big group this week that includes Ohioans Hill and Jackson, receivers Dakorien Moore, Vernell Brown and Daylan McCutcheon and offensive linemen Jayvon McFadden and Kaden Strayhorn.
More is the No. 3 overall prospect in the country and hails from Duncanville, Texas, while Brown is the No. 42 overall prospect and calls Orlando, Fla. home.
Ohio State commits Lee, fellow linebacker Tarvos Alford of Vero Beach, Fla., and three-star safety Deshawn Stewart of DePaul Catholic are also set to be in Columbus.
7. Camps are coming.
Players from across the state and beyond will travel to Columbus in June for one or more of the Buckeyes’ one-day camps. Those are set for June 5, 6, 11, 13 and 17, and they will include a mix of players with the potential to play major college football and any other level in the future.
Ohio State also will host a seven-on-seven team competition June 18 that figures to include many schools from southwestern Ohio.
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